


Joy

by UnapologeticallyBaratheon



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire, Asoiaf - Fandom, game of thrones
Genre: Pre-Canon, Tower of Joy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-04
Updated: 2013-04-04
Packaged: 2017-12-07 10:11:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/747329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnapologeticallyBaratheon/pseuds/UnapologeticallyBaratheon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ned Stark fights his way to the Tower of Joy to rescue his sister. But what he finds is not what he expects.</p>
<p>Following the R+L=J theory</p>
            </blockquote>





	Joy

Joy  
The battle had rage for an hour. Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, had fought valiantly, the northmen rallying behind him. Finally the fighting stopped. The Targeryan men had either been slaughtered or surrendered. They had been vastly outnumbered. All that was left was the Kingsguard guarding the tower. The two resisted at first, but finally fell, leaving Ned to enter the Tower of Joy. Slamming down the door, Howland Reed at his side, the young lord was met with the harsh smell of blood and roses. When he saw his sister lying on a bed, covered in what he assumed was her own blood, he threw his sword to the ground and ran to her side. As he knealed beside her, he saw a new born babe in her arms. He looked at her in shock as he saw the thing. Tiny and pink, a tuft of dark hair poking through his scalp. Ned reached over and grabbed his sister's hand.  
"Ned..?" she called out, voice weak  
"I'm here. Lyanna... Sister what happened? What did he do to you?" he said  
"My fault..." she said "I caused all of this, I never should have run away with him..."   
The admission came as a shock to Ned. Everyone had assumed that the prince had kidnapped her, but...   
"Sweet sister... We have to leave, we can find a maester, he can save you..." he said, knowing that the thought was fantasy. No maester in the world could save her.  
She chuckled a bit "No, dear brother. Theres nothing you can do, don't trouble yourself."  
He looked a her with sad grey eyes as she squeezed his hand softly. "Lyanna, please..." he said  
"Dont worry about me." she said "I'll be alright. But please, you must promise me."   
"What, I'll do anything." he said  
"Save my son... Ive called him Jon..." she coughed   
"Save him? From what?"   
"If Robert ever knows... If he ever finds out that Rhaegar's son lives..." her voice cracked at that, eyes welling with desperate tears  
"I... I can save him. I'll not let him die." he said  
"Promise me..." she muttered, clutching the babe closer "Promise me, Ned..."   
"I promise." he said, stroking her Hair softly   
"Promise me... Promise me..." she repeated, her voice scarcely a whisper. She repeated it until she spoke no more. Ned looked down on her as the life left he body. By the door, he heard Howland say a soft prayer to their gods. Ned had forgotten he was there. Ned lifted the small babe from Lyanna's arms, the boy stirring as the warmth of his mother was taken from him. Howland furrowed his brow as he watched the babe   
"What shall we do, my lord?" the small man asked.   
"We take the child to Winterfell, to be looked after." he said  
"But surely there will be questions. Won't people wonder where the babe came from?"  
Ned looked down at Jon "I'll claim him to be my bastard. I can raise him along my own son.. No one will ever know. Not even him. Swear to me, Howland. You must never tell a soul what you have seen here today. When we came to the tower, Lyanna was slain. It was too late to save her." he said  
Howland kneeled before his Lord "I swear, I will take it to my grave."   
Ned nodded and gestured for him to stand.  
"Robert has given me orders to break the siege of Storm's End. Can I trust you, Howland?"   
"With anything, my lord."  
"Slip away. Let nobody see you. Take the babe to Winterfell. Find him a wet nurse and explain to Catelyn that he is my natural son... Tell her I am sorry." Ned said "See that he's cared for."  
"Yes, my lord." Reed said, taking the boy into his arms and rocking him up and down "I'll see it done."  
"Thank you, my friend." he said "Ride carefully."  
Howland nodded and wrapped his cloak around the boy as he left the tower. Ned turned to Lyanna and lifted her off her bed of blood and roses, carrying her out. The Northmen turned to look at their lord and were shocked to see the body of his sister in the man's arms. Many of them had known Lyanna in her life. There were looks of despair as they looked upon her. After all, she was the reason they were fighting.


End file.
